


Clair de Lune

by correias



Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Blood, Comfort, Minor Violence, but he's also a sweetheart, gender neutral reader, louis finds everything funny
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-15
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2019-06-27 19:24:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15691827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/correias/pseuds/correias
Summary: You weren't sure what was more calming; that song or that smile.





	Clair de Lune

**Author's Note:**

> !! paragraphs written in italics are the reader's memories of the past !!
> 
> i played ep 1 yesterday and instantly fell in love with louis so i just had to write for him. i listened to clair de lune not long before writing this and i found it very inspiring so i recommend that you listen to it, too! i hope i captured louis' character well here as from what i can tell, he seems to be the sunshine of the group and i really wanted to recreate his positive personality. @ telltale pls don't kill him off ty

Your hands dragged along the torn wallpaper on the walls, ripping off tiny bits as you went. Your steps, while small and slow, held a lively bounce in them. You were in a particularly good mood on that fittingly bright and sunny morning. The day before, your group had put on a hunt that lasted all day and actually managed to score _big_. You caught a lot of wild animals and fish, mostly thanks to Louis' traps. For the first time in a long while, you all got to eat well, with enough to spare for another day or so. The happiness that came with a successful hunt was overwhelming.

A warm feeling tingled inside of you whilst you followed the sound of sweet music down the hallway. The song being played was familiar; you believed it was his personal favourite to play. He had told you what it was called before but the name slipped your mind. It was hard to remember normal things like that in an apocalyptic like the one you were in. A smile crossed your face. The music got louder as you turned the corner, finding the door cracked open. Slipping inside, you saw that the person playing the piano, Louis, was so engrossed in his music that he didn't notice you enter.

You decided to stay near the door so that you wouldn't distract him, opting to listen to the rest of his song instead. The song was a sweet, soothing song that always calmed your heart. You remembered the night when he first played that song to you. It was when you had a horrible close encounter with some walkers, something you weren't used to at the time.

 

_"[Y/N]! Behind you!" Louis warned you, pointing in your direction._

_You didn't react quickly enough, resulting in the walker grabbing you, disgusting, rotten teeth aimed at the bare skin of your neck. You felt its decomposing skin gripping your shoulders, sending a shiver up your spine. You knew better than to scream - it would attract more of them things. You struggled, trying your best to move yourself away from it. A bite from one of those things would mean game over. Fearing the worst, your bottom lip begun quivering, eyes welling up with tears of pure fear._

_You pulled your hunting knife from your pocket, moving it behind you to try and stab the walker. However, the angle you were being held at made an attack impossible. You decided to elbow it instead, knocking it back only a little. You grunted, making eye contact with Louis. You'd never seen him look truly angry up until that point. His brows were furrowed, knuckles whitening as he tightened his grip on his weapon. He suddenly took off sprinting, bringing it up over his head and bashing it down onto the walker's head. You heard the disgusting sound of it's head being crushed under the various nails and other sharp objects that were in the chair leg, squeezing your eyes shut and not daring to move since you knew how close his weapon was to your head. You felt the walker's blood hit your face, and you were sure it would've stained your clothes, too._

_You slowly opened your tear-filled eyes, only to see Louis placing his hand on your shoulder comfortingly. It took a few moments for you to comprehend what had just happened; you were still in shock from that near-death situation. You opened your mouth to speak. Nothing came out, though. Louis' eyes were soft, aware of the fact that you'd never had such a close call like that up until this point. He smiled his signature smile, one that always seemed to tug at your heartstrings. You breathed out, looking down at his bloody weapon, along with the walker's body next to you, amazed at how quickly he had reacted. Louis brought his hand up to your cheek, using his thumb to wipe away some of the blood._

_"Sorry for the mess," Louis apologised, grinning as he held up his now bloody hand at you._

_At a loss for words, you choked back your tears, shaking your head at his silly remark. You pushed yourself forward, pulling him into a tight hug. You felt him smile into your hair, returning the gesture. Despite having just gone through hell, you had never felt more safe at that point._

 

Looking back on it, you almost pitied how weak you were back then. Actually, if it wasn't for him, you probably wouldn't have learned everything you know now, nor would you have adapted so quickly to a world like this. You smiled, eyes landing on his seated figure, watching as his fingers worked their magic. It was strange to consider someone that was so good at fighting walkers was this magical with a piano. Not to mention how peaceful he looked whenever he was playing. You brought your hand up to your chest, watching in awe as he played the last few notes of the song.

His face looked proud. He smiled at his own work, probably so pleased because he had played it perfectly. You remembered him saying that he wanted to play all his songs as closely to their original composer as possible. It was nice that he wanted to preserve history like that, especially now that the majority of pianists were most likely gone. He finished the song, sighing aloud as he removed his fingers from the keys, leaning back in relaxation. 

You walked towards Louis, clapping loudly, which caught his attention. He didn't jump since he was used to you sneaking in whenever he was playing. Instead, he seemed surprised, turning his head towards you with wide eyes. The male smiled upon seeing you, an expression that you returned.

" _Oh_ , did I do good?" Louis questioned, basking in the glory of his applauding audience. There was a playful glint in his chocolate orbs as he spoke, raising an eyebrow.

"It was a très magnifique performance, monsieur," you replied, grinning widely. You sauntered over to him, batting your eyelashes and dramatically flipping your hair over your shoulder.

"I didn't know you spoke français, _ma chérie_ ," he answered, playing along.

"Yeah, I dunno what that means. Something to do with love, maybe?" you deadpanned, confused expression on your face. 

Louis laughed, grabbing your arm to pull you over to his chair. He gestured for you to sit down next to him, to which you complied. You swung your legs over the bench, shuffling closer so that your arms were barely brushing each other. He winked cartoonishly, saying, "That's right, I was just confessing my undying love and attraction to you."

"Oh, right, so that's what the serenade was for."

He nodded in response, playing a few notes on the piano for comedic effect. You laughed, copying him, but yours sounded a lot less harmonious in comparison. It didn't bother you, however. In fact, you were happy that he still exercised his talent. Honestly, you never really got why he played piano until he did it especially for you. You kind of saw it as an irritating ruckus before you got close to him. Everything changed until he played especially for you.

 

_You hadn't spoken on the way back, even though you really should've vocalised how thankful you were that Louis had saved your life. He understood, though. He seemed to be able to tell how shaken up you were, especially since you were grasping onto his arm the entire way back as if your existence depended on it. You supposed it sort of did, in a way._

_Louis just decided to do what he did best: cracking jokes. Though some of his jokes were cheesy, you couldn't help but laugh at them. He really did bring light in the darkest of situations. When you got back, you were really distant, not even finishing your meal despite the growling in your stomach. You barely let out a 'yes' or 'no' when spoken to. The attack had you feeling extremely anxious._

_It didn't occur to you that Louis had been paying attention to you until he approached you as everyone disbanded to go to their rooms after eating. You saw him walking up to you, and you almost ignored him until he grabbed your arm, though it was softly and would've allowed you to keep walking if you really wanted to._

_"Hey, you didn't finish your meal?" he asked, although it was much more like a statement. You shook your head in response. He seemed to be in thought for a second, humming aloud as he did so. You tilted your head in confusion. "I've got something that might make you feel better, if you'd like. It's only a might, like it doesn't work for everyone."_

_You raised your eyebrows, questioning, "What? It's not something weird, is it?"_

_Louis blinked once, not really understanding why you seemed so skeptical. Then he gasped, shaking his head quickly. He supposed he was seen as the 'flirt' of the group so it wouldn't be too farfetched for you to assume he was after something else, especially since you weren't close at that point so you didn't know the real him._

_"No, no, no. Nothing like that. I promise, if you don't like it, you can leave straight away, okay?" he held out his hand, smiling. You glanced down at his hand reluctantly, looking back up to meet his ever kind eyes. He nodded at you encouragingly. You gave in, taking his hand._

_You knew where he was taking you right after you started walking. The music room, of course. He spent the majority of his free time in there, so it would make sense that his plan would take place in such a location. Once you were in there, he let go of your now clammy hand, walking up to the piano and taking a seat on the bench. You shut the door behind you, hoping to keep whatever racket he was about to produce in. You stayed near the door, unsure of what to do with yourself. Louis looked over at you, furrowing his brows upon seeing you stood there awkwardly._

_"Uh, come on, silly," Louis said, beckoning you over. You walked over to him, sitting down on the bench next to him. You felt awkward, so didn't get too close to him. Actually, there was probably enough room for two more people with how much space there was between the two of you. You felt like he noticed that, also, by how the corners of his lips seemed to tug upwards, but he didn't say anything. He then played a few random keys on the piano to warm up, smiling at you as he did so, "So, sometimes when I'm feeling some type of way - like if I'm pissed off, or feeling lost or something like that - I like to play. It's not just the action that helps, but more so the actual music, y'know?"_

_"I thought most piano music was just depressing," you admitted, hoping your ignorance wouldn't offend him._

_"Nope, I guess some of it can be. It does depend on perception sometimes. That's why I wanna try playing a song to cheer you up," Louis explained, shrugging casually. "But you gotta tell me what emotion you're feeling, first. That way I can choose the best song possible."_

_"Uhm, I dunno. Maybe, ah, anxious?" you suggested._

_"Anxious as in like nervous and on edge, right?" You nodded in response. He, too, nodded, placing a hand on your arm with a playful expression crossing his face. He inquired, "Is that your final answer?"_

_"Yeah," you confirmed, unable to contain the smile that was threatening to creep onto your lips._

_Louis seemed to be in thought for a moment, placing a finger to his chin. He glanced around the room, humming slightly. He seemed to be trying to think of a song. His eyes narrowed, showing just how hard he was thinking, until his eyes widened. He grinned. You could almost see a lightbulb over his head. Louis rubbed his hands together, running his tongue over his lips to prepare for his song._

_"I've not played this one in ages, but I'll give it a shot. It's called Clair de Lune by Debussy. You ever heard of it?" You mumbled out a 'no', but he didn't seem to be surprised. "It's a soothing melody. A lot of people used to say it was calming. Maybe it will help calm you down."_

_With that, he brought his fingers down onto the keys, beginning to play the song. He was right, it sounded really soothing. In fact, up until that point you hadn't really took the time to properly listen to and appreciate his talent. Louis' face showed complete concentration. His eyes never left the piano and your own eyes never left him. It was truly astonishing that he put so much dedication into playing piano. For saying that he hadn't played this song in a long time, he sure played it like a real professional._

_All the anxiety that had built up inside you had seemed to wash away as the relaxing notes entered your ears, putting you at ease. It was something beautiful, like the moon's reflection on water._

 

"Y'know, I think Clair de Lune is actually my favourite song, too, Louis," you admitted, suddenly recalling the name of the song, much to your happiness.

"I know," Louis said bluntly. You looked at him with raised eyebrows. He wasn't smiling like he usually did, opting for a more serious expression. Noticing your surprised expression, he shrugged nonchalantly, "I've always known. Before you even heard it. I have good judgement." 

The grin was back as fast as it left. Rolling your eyes, you punched him on the arm, but laughed regardless. A cheeky smirk tugged at the corner of your lips as you replied, "Fair enough. But I bet you never knew that I'd end up being your favourite. Don't worry, I won't tell Marlon."

"Hmm, no, I think I predicted that one too. I'll try not to let it slip to Violet that I'm _your_ fave, either," Louis chuckled.

"You're an idiot."

"You're a bigger one!" the male retorted, sticking his tongue out at you. You swatted him away with your hand, smacking him upside the head (not enough for it to hurt, though). He whined in 'pain', sticking his bottom lip out to pout at you.

"Oh come on, Lou! Like that even hurt," you said, crossing your arms.

Louis laughed, a harmonious sound to your ears, before letting out a relaxed sigh. His hands went behind his head in a casual manner, leaning back slightly to get comfy. He closed his eyes, smiling to himself. Attempting to copy his calm demeanor, you let your arms drop to your sides, shrugging up to him slightly and leaning your head on his arm. Gestures like this weren't uncommon for you too, with some of the others kids believing there was something more than a friendship going on between you.

"You seem to be in a good mood today," Louis said. You peeked up at him, seeing that he still had his eyes closed.

"I am."

"Oh? And why is that, little lady?" he asked, a hint of teasing playing in his tone of voice.

"Becau- By the way, I'm _not_ little," you began, clicking your tongue in annoyance. "And because we ate good last night. And we probably will tonight too. Gosh, maybe even the day after!"

"Damn right. Who do you need to thank for that?" His eyes were open now and he was grinning down at you.

"Well, I like to think of it as a group effort," you said. He fake gasped, taking fake offense to your words. You continued with, "Okay, _maybe_ your traps actually scored us the big ones this time, so I guess I have you to thank for that, Louis."

"I don't really like to brag but you're _totally_ right," he responded, ruffling your hair underneath his hand. You smiled, then opened and closed your mouth repeatedly, unsure of whether to speak the words that were lingering in your head. Louis noticed this, nudging your side to catch your attention. You glanced up at him through your long eyelashes, watching as his chocolate brown eyes sparkled with curiosity. He raised a quizzical eyebrow. "What?"

You hesitated, then sighed in defeat. "Jokes aside, I really am thankful that you set up all those traps for us. I mean, it's been so long since we had real food. I've never seen everyone look so happy, Lou. It's really all thanks to you, so..." you trailed off, not really having a particular direction to take the conversation after that. You struggled to maintain eye contact with him. The two of you joked around so much that having a serious conversation could actually make you nervous. Not to mention how deeply them alluring eyes stared into your own eyes.

"I try my best, [Y/N]," Louis replied simply, baring his flawless smile. You bit your lip, a nervous habit. He tilted his head a little, taking notice of your habit. Then, you felt weight on your thigh. You looked down quickly, seeing that he had comfortingly placed his hand on your leg. Smiling shyly, you placed your hand on top of this, helpless against the rosy tint that appeared on your cheeks. Louis quietly laughed to himself.

"What?" you asked.

"Don't look at me like that."

"Like what?" you shook your head, taken aback.

"Like you're... in love with me," Louis chuckled, that signature heartwarming smile on his face, yet the genuine tone in his voice was undeniable.

"Hey!" you exclaimed, looking away with a frown. "I was just... mirroring you."

You felt his fingers lightly grasp your cheek, making you look directly at him. He grinned, "Is that so? And what if I am?"

You couldn't do anything but nod in response, unable to form the right words. Your eyes widened, seeing his gaze drop to your lips momentarily. On the inside, you were panicking, screaming - the whole lot. However, on the outside, you were unable to stop yourself from doing the same, sneaking a daring glance at his own lips. You felt his hand on your thigh tighten a little, and you didn't even realise how clammy the hand that was above his had become. 

The sudden creaking of the door, following by light footsteps pattering against the music room floor startled you out of the moment. You jumped, moving away from Louis to the point where you almost fell off the piano bench. You turned your head towards the source of the noise. Tenn was running towards the two of you, a piece of paper in his hand. He smiled when he saw you, oblivious to the moment that he just burst in on. You smiled, although it wavered awkwardly when you snook a quick glance at the male next to you. He didn't seem phased at the surprise at all. He smiled at Tenn, waving a hand at him. You couldn't believe how much he could keep it together. 

"Hey guys! Look what I drew," Tenn said, shaking the paper at you once he was directly in front of you. You took the paper from his hands, curiously raising your eyebrows. What was depicted in Tenn's drawing immediately made your eyes become the size of saucepans, slamming a hand over your mouth. There was a pretty nicely drawn piano in the background, with two people that seemed to be you and Louis in front of it, holding hands. Your faces looked very happy. There was a love heart between the two of you, coloured in bright pink. You felt the paper get snatched from your hand, before there was a loud laugh ringing out next to you.

"I love it, Tenn!" Louis exclaimed, and you saw Tenn's face light up at the reaction. Then, the young boy looked over to you, waiting for you to say something. Louis nudged you, prompting you to speak.

"Yeah, it's really cute, Tenn." you mumbled, rubbing the back of your neck sheepishly.

"Yeah! How did you know me and [Y/N] were in _love_?" Louis asked Tenn, dragging out the latter word with a grin. Naturally, he would just play along with something like this.

Tenn shrugged, taking back the paper, "Everyone knows, duh. I heard Marlon say that you guys probably come in here to do like... kissy stuff."

You choked.


End file.
